Propane shortage hitting Michiana hard

NORTH LIBERTY, Ind. -- A national propane shortage is not only making it difficult to get propane, the price of propane is going up. Many residents in rural areas of Michiana rely on propane to heat their homes.



"It's definitely costing me more this year because we are running the gas more because of the cold temperatures," said Russell Wise of North Liberty.



Wise uses propane to heat his home.



"We are down to 25-percent," said Wise. "I'm hoping that will get me by until the price goes down."



Last summer Hoosiers were getting propane for $1.49 a gallon. Three weeks ago, $2.50 a gallon.  Now a gallon of propane is more than twice that.



"It's so cold and we are using so much that it is going through the roof," said Wise.



With prices of propane going up, frozen Michiana homeowners have had to get creative to heat up their homes.



"I used to use a tank a month so that would be about $500 every month to heat this old house and with the corn burner now, I use a tank a year," said Wise.



"I supplement in this cold spell with some electric heaters so I don't use so much propane," said Tom Annis of North Liberty.



"Too expensive for an old farmhouse, I use a pellet stove and it is a lot cheaper than BLP," said Steve Botka of North Liberty.



Wednesday afternoon Governor Mike Pence declared an energy emergency that will enable the Attorney General's office to investigate propane prices and possible price gouging.